According to a government report, there are no plans at the present time to commence the provisions on emergency volunteering leave contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020. That legislation created a statutory right for workers to take a new form of unpaid emergency volunteering leave to assist in the health or social care sectors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The provisions were intended to come into force should the delivery of health services be at risk as a result of the pandemic. However, the report confirms that, to date, there has not been a significant risk to health services and a surge in trained volunteers has not been required. So, these provisions have not needed to be introduced. That said, the position will be kept under review to assess if the provisions need to be triggered in the future should there be subsequent, more aggressive waves of coronavirus.

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